Verbena plant named ‘Sunmariburare’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Sunmariburare’, characterized by its trailing and decumbent plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; attractive light red-colored flowers; freely and continuous flowering habit; long-lasting flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Verbena×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunmariburare’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Sunmariburare.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Hokuto, Yamanashi, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new trailing Verbenas with large and attractiveflowers.

The new Verbena originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventorsin May, 1996 of a proprietary selection of Verbena×hybrida identified ascode number H17-8, not patented. The new Verbena was selected as asingle plant from the resulting progeny of the self-pollination by theInventors in a controlled environment in Hokuto, Yamanashi, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings atYokaichi, Shiga, Japan since October, 1998, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunmariburare have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunmariburare’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunmariburare’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Verbena:

-   -   1. Trailing and decumbent plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Attractive light red-colored flowers.    -   4. Freely and continuous flowering habit.    -   5. Long-lasting flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the new Verbena, plants of the parent selectionare more upright and not as trailing. In addition, plants of the newVerbena and the parent selection differ in flower color as plants of theparent selection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the cultivarSunmariripi, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,037. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the newVerbena differed from plants of the cultivar Sunmariripi in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were larger and had longer        internodes than plants of the cultivar Sunmariripi.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and the cultivar Sunmariripi        differed in leaf shape.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the cultivar Sunmariripi        differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar        Sunmariripi had pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Verbena.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Sunmariburare’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Sunmariburare’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown during the summer in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan inan outdoor nursery and under commercial production practices. Plantswere grown in 15-cm containers and were about four months old when thephotographs and description were taken. During the production of theplants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged15° C. Plants were pinched one time in the spring. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena×hybrida cultivar Sunmariburare.-   Parentage: Self-pollination of a proprietary selection of    Verbena×hybrid identified as code number H17-8, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 20° C. to 25°            C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant.—About one month at 20° C. to            25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Trailing and decumbent plant habit;            broadly inverted triangle; vigorous growth habit. Freely            branching habit with about 20 lateral branches per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 17.5 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 84.5 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 41.8 cm. Diameter: About            2.4 mm. Internode length: About 4.6 cm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:            About 3.6 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Pubescent; coarse. Venation pattern:            Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing and fully expanded            leaves, upper surface: 137B; venation, 145C. Developing and            fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137C; venation, 145C.            Petiole length: About 4 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.            Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 145C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single, star-shaped salverform flowers            arranged in umbels; flowers face mostly upright. Freely            flowering habit with about ten inflorescences per plant each            with about ten open flowers each.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from spring            to late autumn in Japan. Flowers not persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the            plant.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 cm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: 52A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.9 cm. Depth: About 2 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Lobe            length: About 7.8 mm. Lobe width: About 6.2 mm. Shape:            Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            Developing and fully expanded petals, upper surface: 52A.            Developing and fully expanded petals, lower surface: 52C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 1.2 cm.            Width: About 0.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 145B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            four. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther length: About            0.9 mm. Anther color: 145C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen            color: 145C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Typically one.            Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: 144A. Style length: About 1.4 cm. Style color: 144D.            Ovary color: 144C.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been    noted to be resistant to specific pathogens and pests common to    Verbena.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and tolerated    temperatures from about −3° C. to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Sunmariburare’,as illustrated and described.